Sayo
by Zanza8
Summary: Sanosuke is still depressed over Sayo's death. Will Megumi be able to help?


Megumi sighed with exasperation as she saw the familiar white clothes and shaggy dark hair of Sanosuke on the bridge near the clinic. There was a needle-fine rain, but the young man seemed oblivious to it, leaning over the railing and staring at the water. What could he be thinking? As she got closer her annoyance faded, to be replaced with concern. Sano had a desolate look she had never seen before and he didn't even notice her approach until she touched his shoulder.

"Sanosuke Sagara, I would have thought you have the sense to get in out of the rain." The words were sharp, but her tone of voice was very gentle.

"I didn't notice the rain," he said miserably. He was soaked to the skin and shaking with cold and Megumi rolled her eyes.

"Well, come on, then-if you don't get out of those wet clothes you'll get sick and be even more work for me." He hesitated and she took his arm and gave him a little pull. "Let's go."

They walked back to the clinic in silence and she took him to the kitchen, then went to fetch towels and a blanket. "Here you go. I'm going to go fire up the bathhouse-you get out of your clothes and dry off and I'll be right back."

It took her a little while to get the fire in the bathhouse started properly, then she returned and collected the wet clothes, hanging them to dry on the porch. Sano sat in front of the stove, wrapped in a blanket, his teeth chattering. She made some tea and set it on a small table in front of him, asking, "Would you like something to eat?"

"No." Megumi frowned and touched Sanosuke's face and he pulled away. "I'm not sick. I'm just…." He fell silent and the young woman sat next to him and poured them both some tea.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Megumi's voice was very soft. "You don't have to, but if it would help…."

The young man sighed. "I was just thinking about someone I met on this last trip."

Megumi sipped her tea. "Karou told me something about it-a Christian who used the Hiten Mitsurugi style, who wanted to start a rebellion. She said he was defeated by Kenshin and then deported with all his followers."

"Was that all she told you?" Sanosuke's voice was very low. Megumi nodded and he said slowly, "I didn't really talk about it, but I thought she might have mentioned….his sister."

The young woman felt a surge of jealousy that surprised her with its sheer strength. So he had met another woman and now he was pining for her. "No, Karou didn't say anything about a sister." Megumi's voice was level but her hand shook a little as she poured more tea.

Sano smiled slightly. "The first time I met her she slapped me right across the face and called me a brute. She was with her boyfriend…."

"She had a boyfriend?" Megumi couldn't keep the relief out of her voice, but lost in his memory, Sanosuke didn't notice.

"Attendant, bodyguard, fellow Christian, childhood sweetheart…." The young man shrugged. "They were being harassed by some cops and I tried to help out, but she got mad when I beat them. Said Shozo-that was his name-was able to handle anything that needed doing. He was a strong fighter-he even gave me some trouble. She was wearing a medallion, and one of the cops pulled it off her neck-I got it back, but then she hit me. And then I got mad, and I wouldn't give it back to her…."

"That doesn't sound like you."

"It's not. I never did anything like that before. Oh, I stole food when I was a kid, but I never took anybody's personal things, especially not something that was important to them, and this was very important to her-it was all she had to remember her dead mother by. And then I lost the medallion and I got hurt and she found me and took care of me…."

"You're hurt?" The doctor in Megumi took over. "Let me see."

He dropped the blanket to his waist and she gasped at the half-healed wounds on his shoulder and arms. Even his throat was torn and she had to force herself to be calm as she examined him. "Well, it looks like she did a good job. Everything's healing well." He was shivering and she pulled the blanket back up and tucked it around him. "What was this lady's name?"

"Her Christian name was Magadalia. Her real name, the way I think of her, was Sayo." Sanosuke stared into the distance for a moment, then went on with his story. "She was sick, coughing up blood….Kenshin said what it was but I can't remember."

"Tuberculosis?"

"That's it. We ran into an old friend of Kenshin's, a doctor who got to be the Dutch consulate, and I took her to see him. Her brother had gathered all the Christian villagers to start his rebellion, and the army was going to attack them-Kenshin said his doctor friend could stop the army if I could find him in time….and I did find him, but his servants had some plan of their own…." Sanosuke closed his eyes for a moment. "One of them pulled out a gun and fired at him, and Sayo….she pushed him out of the way. He could have saved her, but she…." The young man swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "She begged him to go and save her brother and the villagers….and he left us by the side of the road….I got her medallion back and I gave it to her, but I lost her….I promised Shozo I would keep her safe for him and I failed them both…." Sano's voice broke, his final words almost inaudible. "She died in my arms."

Megumi touched Sanosuke's shoulder and he turned and buried his face against her, clutching her tightly as the tears came. She wrapped her arms around him and for a long time the only sound in the room was Sanosuke's sobs and her wordless murmuring. Finally the storm of emotion wore itself out and the young man relaxed, resting his head on Megumi's shoulder.

She stroked his hair and smiled down at him. "Better?"

He sat up slowly, managing a small smile back. "Maybe a little. Maybe I could even eat something if it's not too much trouble."

Megumi got to her feet. "It's no trouble at all," she said kindly. "The bath must be hot by now-go take the last of that chill off while I fix dinner, and I'll come get you when it's ready."

Sanosuke stood up and said shyly, "You're a really good person, Megumi." He bent quickly and kissed her cheek.

The young woman blushed, as much at the words as the unexpected caress. "That's a very nice thing to say, Sanosuke."

"I always say nice things." He grinned and Megumi's heart lifted to see his grief fall away and his eyes once more twinkling with mischief.


End file.
